“I had been working in the hairdressing industry for fourteen years and had only completed my Level 2 NVQ qualification in Hair. So when the opportunity to complete my Level 3 hair apprenticeship came up, I jumped at the chance.

“Prior to commencing my apprenticeship, I studied for my Maths and English with Interserve, as I didn’t have them at Level 2. With the support of my Training and Development Officer, I achieved these qualifications, alongside my Level 3 in hair.

“Whilst completing my apprenticeship, I enjoyed the fact that I could still work in the salon running my column and with clients, all the while training and completing assessments.”

“It was this positive experience that led me to go on to complete my Barbering Level 2. Once I had that under my belt, I was ready to open my very own salon, The Little Hair Studio in Newark.

“This was a big change and I felt I needed to equip myself with new skills to make the most of the opportunity, so I went on to do my team leading qualification next, which was very helpful in the setting up and running of my own salon. I learnt about management styles and ways to manage conflict, it was really interesting.

“Fast forward to today and I now have two of my own apprentices, one who has completed the Level 3 hair apprenticeship and a new apprentice who is on the hair apprenticeship Level 2 standards. I am loving having apprentices in my salon as they are now expected to work to a higher standard.”

“The introduction of the professional values is a great benefit to my business and the amount of training my apprentice receives from Anna Taylor, our dedicated Training and Development Officer is brilliant. Anna is really good with fortnightly visits and setting of homework.

“I like the fact that we work closely with Anna, and the apprentice gets one-to-one training from another experienced hair professional. Plus the training doesn’t stop when she visits like it might in a college environment, we carry it on all the time in the salon.

It’s a win-win situation, as I get a stylist who knows what they are doing and is trained to a high-standard and my apprentice becomes a hairdresser with great skills!”